Balancing an elite sports career and personal life has historically been one of the major challenges in the industry. In particular, motherhood has been a critical turning point for many female athletes, often penalized by regulatory gaps that created profound legal and professional uncertainty.
In this context, the recent regulatory amendment approved by the Royal Spanish Swimming Federation (RFEN) for water polo is not only significant news but also a significant step forward in protecting the rights of female athletes.
This article analyzes in depth the implications of this new regulation, contextualizing it within the landscape of other sports regulations at the national and international level, and concludes on its impact on building a fairer and more equal legal framework in sports.
On August 5, 2025, the Delegate Commission of the RFEN published two major amendments that will directly impact the water polo División de Honor (Honor Division) leagues. While both are relevant, the first of them constitutes a milestone in the area of work-life balance and maternity protection.
The main innovation is the creation of a mechanism that protects pregnant players. From now on, when a player takes a leave of absence due to pregnancy, her registration slot will not count toward the team’s maximum limit for that season. This implies two direct and concurrent benefits:
This measure, which could be called the “zero slot” or “suspended slot,” is a clear example of a regulation that balances the interests of all parties, recognizing maternity as a circumstance that deserves special protection and not as a cessation of activity.
The second relevant amendment is the increase from two to three non-EU (not belonging to the European Union) players who can be included on the official match roster. This decision, while purely competitive in nature, will have legal implications for roster planning, contracting, and the management of work and residency permits, opening up a new scenario in the transfer market.
The RFEN’s initiative, while pioneering in Spanish water polo, is part of a global trend aimed at providing greater protection for female athletes. It is useful to compare it with existing regulations in other sports.
FIFA established a mandatory regulatory framework at a global level. Its regulations for pregnant athletes include a mandatory maternity leave of 14 paid weeks, explicit protection against dismissal due to pregnancy, and the ability to register a player outside the transfer windows to temporarily replace the pregnant athlete.
The RFEN’s model clearly aligns with FIFA’s philosophy, adapting the replacement solution to its system of federative registration slots.
In individual sports like tennis, the approach is different. The WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) uses a “protected ranking” system that allows players who take a leave of absence for maternity to freeze their position in the world rankings for a period of up to three years.
This facilitates their re-entry into high-level tournaments upon their return to competition, thus protecting the sporting status they had achieved.
The new RFEN regulation is a step forward of enormous significance. It demonstrates an institutional maturity and a social sensitivity in line with the reality of 21st-century women’s sports.
By adopting a mechanism that simultaneously protects the rights of the athlete and the competitive stability of the clubs, the federation creates an environment of legal certainty that encourages the continuity of women’s sports careers.
These types of regulations, which follow in the wake of major organizations like FIFA, are indispensable for consolidating a legal framework that not only recognizes but actively protects equal opportunities.
Thus, the rules that regulate pregnancy and professional sports are, ultimately, the tool that allows talent and effort to remain the sole criteria that define success in sport.
The amendment to the RFEN’s regulations for pregnant athletes is a clear example of the constant evolution of sports law. Staying up-to-date with these changes is not just a competitive advantage, but a necessity for any professional who seeks to offer excellent counsel to clubs, federations, or athletes.
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We invite you to explore our programs and discover how we can help you anticipate changes and lead in the field of sports law.
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